Making risotto is like shelling broad beans — you need to be physically present and focused. Embrace this rare moment! If you can't source fresh sugar snaps, replace with frozen peas.
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1 ⅕ litres | vegetable or chicken stock |
500g | broad beans, shelled |
2 Tbsp | butter |
1 | onion, peeled and finely diced |
1 clove | garlic, peeled and finely sliced |
1 stalk | celery, finely diced |
1½ cups | arborio rice |
½ cup | white wine |
2 handfuls | sugar snap peas, sliced |
Generous handful | fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped |
To serve | Freshly grated pecorino or parmesan, or crumbled feta |
Directions
- Pour the stock into a pot set over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Drop in the broad beans and cook for 2 minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Turn off the heat under the stock.
- Melt half the butter in a large, heavy pot set over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery, plus a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes, until very soft. While the onion mixture is cooking, pop the broad beans from their skins and set aside.
- Add the rice to the onion mixture and stir well for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Turn the heat under the stock back on. When it's simmering, ladle ½ cup of the hot stock into the rice and stir until absorbed. Continue this process until the rice is tender and the stock has all been absorbed (about 18–20 minutes). If you use up all the stock before the rice is cooked, use freshly boiled water from the kettle.
- When the rice is tender, remove the pot from the heat. Taste for seasoning — if you've used commercially made stock, it's unlikely to need any salt. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, followed by the broad beans and sugar snap peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir the fresh herbs through.
- Divide between warmed bowls and serve. Let diners add their own cheese at the table; you've done enough.
Edited extract from Homecooked by Lucy Corry. Photography Carolyn Robertson. Published by Penguin. RRP $55.